[Daki]

It's been many, many months since I was a regular poster. Life got in the way and I started stress eating. I've been so completely stressed these last couple of months.

I'm planning my wedding and I'm trying so hard to keep it small and under $5000. My fiance started an online business and is quitting his full time job as an accountant on FRIDAY. The business isn't bringing in a lot of money yet so he's going to do freelance writing but I'm still super stressed about how this is gunna work. I've been put on Zoloft for depression (Which existed before all of this), it was working great but then I dipped back down. Doctor has upped my dosage now and is forcing me to see a psychiatrist, not happy about that. I've had bronchitis 4 times since October and have been put on a $200 a month inhaler (My health insurance sucks). I also sprained my ankle which kept me from running for over a month, just getting back to it now.

Oh and I ordered my wedding dress in a size 16. Not the the 20 the store wanted me to order and not the 18 I should have ordered. From previous measurements while losing weight, I need to be around 180 for my dress to fit and since it takes a few months for the dress to come in I hope I don't have a problem getting back there.

I'm just really annoyed with myself more than anything. I knew I was depressed and it just ate at me until I started eating to try to feel better because life kept piling more on. I tried really hard over 7 months to get back on the weight loss train but kept falling off. But now I HAVE to lose weight or else I'll have to wear one of my fiance's white undershirts down the aisle!

So yeah. Hi, again! =)

[Mozzy]

Hugs and welcome back
Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

[smashlers]

Annoyance aside.... this all sounds SO exciting. I love a good challenge. How is the planning under $5,000 going? We are planning a 5k wedding too! Well its in 2.5 years, so I have time to freak about details.

What are you doing for a venue. The little bit I have looked, it seemed like anything cute was WAYYYYY over budget. Tell me more!

[Daki]

Thanks, Mozzy!

Smashlers, the planning is going. Still not sure if we're gunna come in under $5k or not. I think we still can but unfortunately we have to invite a lot of people out of courtesy and avoiding family fights. Hoping most of the 90 something people being invited can't make it lol. I wanted to invite 60 people but it just wasn't possible without offending a lot of people.

We are saving a lot of money in a lot of ways. Our wedding is in January so we get a lot of off season discounts. Our built in 1892 mansion venue was $500 and very hard to find. During March-November it is $4500 to book on a Saturday. I mentioned to the owner that I had probably been searching online for a venue for over 30 hours at the point where I finally found them. He said "Yeah, we don't advertise. We don't need to." They do the catering but their prices are better than local catering companies. They will also provide two bartenders at $7 per person and we provide the alcohol. Another money saver because we take back everything and can return the unopened stuff.

We have a lot of friends pitching in their talents to save us money. My best friend is going to officiate and her wedding gift to us was to basically be my assistant and crafter. She's going to be making the girls' bouquets, the center pieces, send out the save the dates and invites, put favors together, etc. His female best friend has a nice camera and is going to take pictures for our save the dates. My other best friend is an amazing baker so she's making our cake and our other friend is an amazing cake decorator so she'll be doing that.

We're not having flowers. I'm doing a brooch bouquet and about 20 of them were given to me for free because my mom's friend didn't want them. The rest I'm buying at Michael's on clearance for under $2 a piece. The girls' bouquets will be paper flowers with some brooches.

We booked our DJ and photographer from the same company so we get a discount for that. And another 10 or 15% off for having a winter wedding. I'm artistic and I didn't want someone else arranging our wedding album so we went with a package that only gives us all of our photos will full rights to reprint. No extra crap I didn't want.

It's been exhausting doing all of that research. Spent so so many hours looking for venues and photographers that I loved but were also in our price range. My advice is find what you're firm on (For me it was a good photographer) and be flexible with most other stuff to avoid pulling your hair out. And be prepared to spend a loooot of time looking. Oh! And go to as many bridal shows as you can. I think they are mostly awful but basically everyone is offering a contest to win their service. I know a girl who won a $75,000 wedding from a bridal show. Personally, I won a $75 gift certificate to a dress store. Didn't like any of the dresses but it was nice to win.

Sorry for so much writing! I get excited talking about how we're saving money. I also see it as a challenge. I have to beat the budget! Good luck with your planning! =)

[Mimzzy]

Big hugs!
First congrats on you engagement and upcoming wedding!
Planning a wedding it difficult stuff! My fiancee and I got engaged last May and we were overwhelmed at all the details that had to be hammered out! Thankfully, we have no set a date for the wedding and have since decided to take a time out and save up.

Don't get yourself down to much over the lack of weight loss that's been happening. It happens, life gets in the way and we just slide off course. I myself have recently come back after gaining 40lbs after my doctor tried to take me off my depression medication. I plummeted into depression soon after, I slept all day, didn't leave the house and ate junk. I am basically starting all over again!

Try to enjoy being engaged!
If you need someone to be accountable to or anything I could always use a buddy!

[penmage]

Welcome back!

[KawaiiCandie]

welcome back, and good luck! you have an amazing goal to strive for, so that should really keep you motivated to lose the weight!

[emmablack]

Welcome back! You are going to look amazing on your wedding day! Good luck! Wishing you my support